Andhra Pradesh Govt. Sets Up Non-Profit to Streamline CSR Funds

Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana governments set up their respective CSR advisory boards in 2019. Not to be left behind, Andhra Pradesh ended the year with an announcement on the same lines. On December 31, the State government created Connect to Andhra, a non-profit society—by subsuming Smart Andhra Pradesh Foundation—to streamline the mobilisation and utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

The government of Andhra Pradesh has also constituted two committees — Apex-cum-Executive Committee to be headed by the Chief Minister and District Level Committees to be headed by the respective District Collector. A Government Order RS 405 was issued by the Planning Department to this effect.

Connect to Andhra will be headed by either Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary or Special Secretary in the Planning Department as CEO to coordinate the CSR fund mobilisation and ensure effective monitoring of the flow of CSR funds from industries/ companies in the State. The Apex Committee headed by the Chief Minister shall make policies for Connect to Andhra, which will work under the overall supervision of the Planning Department.

The committee will have Minister for Finance and Planning, Chief Secretary and three dignitaries as its members and E.O. Secretary, Planning Department, as member-convenor. The terms of reference of the committee are standard setting through the provision of policy frameworks, regulate the corporate engagement with social responsibility and protecting and promoting social objectives in the corporate sector apart from guiding the district level committees.

What will happen at district level?

The district-level committees will be headed by the collector and have district officials, including Zilla Parishad CEO, officials of Industry, Education, Medical & Health, Municipal Commissioner, Labour Commissioner as members and CPO as member convenor.

These committees will also have a nominated local industry CEO as a representative and the committee will advise, supervise, monitor and review the CSR activities and mobilisation of funds in identified sectors.

Terms of reference of the district-level committees include identification of companies and industries in the district, identification of eligible works as per local needs in the district, mobilisation and receipt of funds from companies concerned, monitoring sanction and release of funds and proper utilisation, monitoring of timely and qualitative grounding of works in the district, monitoring the progress of works periodically, ensure to cover the SC, ST and minority areas or other vulnerable areas (community) while recommending and sanctioning the works with CSR funds, proper periodical reporting the status of CSR implementation to the government, review the status of implementation of CSR every quarter and overall responsibility for supervision, monitoring and coordination for smooth CSR implementation.

Development of Andhra Pradesh

Connect to Andhra will mobilise resources from corporates, NRTs and individual donors for development of the State of Andhra Pradesh in three implementation modes — Contribution to ‘Pool Fund’ created for funding Navaratnalu’s flagship programmes, contributions to specific Navaratnalu and related projects by companies/ individuals, execution to be done by Connect to Andhra or government agencies with the approval of the secretary of concerned department and contributions to specific Navaratnalu and related projects by companies/individuals, along with their execution through CSR foundations or partner NGOs.